Pyrophoric gas lighter with lateral pressure lever



P. HELING Sept. 14, 1965 PYROPHORIC GAS LIGHTER WITH LATERAL PRESSURE LEVER Filed Dec. 19, 1963 Fig.4-

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lNl/E/VTGR Paul Helin o United States Patent 3,205,685 PYROPHORIC GAS LIGHTER WITH LATERAL PRESSURE LEVER Paul Heling, 51 Kleinenherger Strasse, Solingen-Wald, Germany Filed Dec. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 331,852 4 Claims. (Cl. 67--7.1)

This invention relates to lighters, and more specifically to a pyrophoric gas lighter with a pressure lever.

Such pyrophoric gas lighters are known. Particularly, a pyrophoric gas lighter has become known in which the pressure lever is formed by the tubular flint sleeve mounted at the head end of the casing of the lighter so as to be swinga'ble relative to the casing and a latch arm is secured with one of its ends to the tubular flint sleeve and encloses with its other end the piston forming the burner, while bearing against an annular collar of the piston and, under the action of a leaf spring arranged on the flint sleeve, normally keeps the piston in a position in which the gas-discharge opening is closed.

The invention provides a pyrophoric gas lighter with a manually operable spark wheel, a tubular flint sleeve mounted horizontally at the head end of the casing of the lighter consisting of two parts connected together in a gas-tight manner, and a pressure lever arranged on the outside of the casing of the lighter and acting on the gas-discharge regulating device through a latch arm connected with the piston forming the burner, which lighter is characterized in that a base member of the casing of the lighter together with the pressure lever and a top member of the casing of the lighter together with a U-shaped clamping holder for the tubular flint sleeve are each formed of one piece of flexible plastic.

By forming the base member of the casing integrally With the pressure level and the top member of the casing integrally with the clamping holder for the flint sleeve, the pyrophoric gas lighter can be produced in a more rational and thus economical way than hitherto since time-consuming assembling work as has previously been necessary for pivoting the pressure lever and securing the flint sleeve is dispensed with.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention, an elastic arm may be fixedly mounted with one of its ends on the free end of the pressure lever and may act with its other end on the elastic latch arm normally keeping the piston forming the burner in its closing position for the purpose of opening and closing the gasdischarge opening.

According to a further feature of the invention, the legs of the U-shaped clamping holder may extend obliquely inwardly at their ends and, adjacent the oblique surfaces, may be shaped according to the outer form of the tubular flint sleeve. Furthermore, the tubular flint sleeve is expediently of square shape at both ends and encloses the clamping holder between its square ends.

Owing to the cross-sectional form of the clamping holder, the flint sleeve can be easily pressed into the clamping holder in which it is secured against longitudinal shifting and rotation about its longitudinal axis due to the square shape of its ends and the elasticity of the legs of the clamping holder.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pyrophoric gas lighter according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line lV-IV of FIG. 2;

Patented Sept. 14, 1965 "ice FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line VV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of the pyrophoric gas lighter with the cap fitted on the top member of the casing removed;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken on the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7.

The drawing shows a pyrophoric gas lighter having a two part casing which comprises a base member 1 and a top member 2 connected together at their adjoining edges in a gas-tight manner by means of an adhesive or by welding and forming a reservoir 3 for receiving the liquefied gas. A refilling valve 4 is screwed into the bottom of the base member 1, and a burner 5 of known construction is inserted in the upper wall 6 of the top member 2. The ignition mechanism comprises a spark wheel 7 which is mounted on the shaft of a screw 8 screwed into the upper wall 6 of the top member 2, a tubular flint sleeve 9 for receiving a flint 10, and a. helical spring 11 acting on the flint 10. Screwed into one end of the flint sleeve 9 is an adjusting screw 12 with the aid of which the tension of the helical spring 11 acting on the flint 10 can be regulated. The flint sleeve 9 is mounted in a U-shaped clamping holder 13 which consists, together with the top member 2 of the casing of the lighter, of one piece of flexible plastic. The legs 13a, 13b of the U-shaped clamping holder 13 extend obliquely outwardly at their ends to facilitate the insertion of the flint sleeve 9 in the clamping holder 13 and, adjacent the oblique surfaces, are shaped according to the outer form of the flint sleeve 9. The flint sleeve 9 is of square shape at both ends 9a, 9b and encloses the clamping holder 13 between its square ends, so that the flint sleeve 9 is secured against axial shifting and rotation about its longitudinal axis in the clamping holder 13. A pressure lever 14 likewise consists, together with the base member 1 of the casing, of one piece of flexible plastic. A small neck connects the bottom of the pressure lever to the bottom of the base member. An elastic arm 15 is fixed at one of its ends by means of a screw 16 to the free end of the pressure lever 14 and is bulged upwardly at its other end. The elastic arm 15 cooperates with an elastic pre-stressed latch arm 17 which has an aperture 18 therein on the piston forming the burner 5 and bears with a bulge 19 against an annular collar 20 of the burner 5. One end of the latch arm 17 is screwed to the upper wall 6 of the top member 2 of the casing of the lighter and the other end of the latch arm is bulged downwardly. When the pressure lever 14 is pressed with a finger, the latch arm 17 is lifted through the arm 15 whereupon the burner 5 is lifted by the pressure of the liquefied gas to such an extent that the gas escapes which is then ignited on actuation of the spark wheel 7. When the pressure of the finger on the pressure lever 14 ceases, the latch arm 17 is released again by the arm 15 and snaps back into its initial position and thereby forces the burner 5 into the closing position. A cap 21 is fitted on the top member 2 of the casing and is flush with the base member 1 of the casing. In its upper wall the cap 21 has an aperture 22 for the passage therethrough of the gas flame and laterally it has a cutaway portion 23 through which part of the spark wheel 7 projects outwardly.

I claim:

1. In a gas lighter of the type including a casing, said casing including base and top portions defining a gas chamber, an ignition mechanism, means for mounting a flint on the top portion of the casing adjacent the ignition mechanism, a burner adjacent the ignition mechanism, a lever, and means for operating said burner upon the application of pressure to said lever for releasing '1 gas from within said gas chamber through said burner, the improvement comprising constructing the base portion of the casing and the lever of an integral one-piece construction, said lever being free at an upper portion and joined at a lower portion to the base portion of the casing, said flint mounting means and said casing top portion being constructed of an integral one-piece construction, means securing said top and base casing portions in gastight relationship, 'said operating means including a first member operatively coupled to said burner and a second member operatively coupled to said lever, and cooperative cam meansforming portions of said first and second members for operating said burner, upon the application of manual pressure'to said lever.

'2. The improvement in a gas lighter as defined in claim 1 ,wherein said first.and second members are normally in spaced relationship in an inoperative position thereof, and are brought into contact in an operative position by the manual pressure applied to the lever.

3. The improvement in a gas lighter as defined in claim 2 wherein said first and second members are springs and the cam meansforming portions'thereof are oppositely curved portions adapted for sliding contact one upon the, other upon the movement of said members between the inoperative and operative positions, thereof.

4. In a gas lighter of the type including a casing, said casing including base and top portions defining a gas chamber, an ignition mechanism, means for mounting a flint on the top portion of the casing adjacent the ignition mechanism, a burner adjacent the ignition mechanism, a lever, and means for operating said burner upon the application of pressure to said lever for releasing gas from within said gas chamber through said burner, the

4, improvement comprising forming one of said casing portions and said lever from an integral one-piece construction, a major portion of said lever being movable toward and awayfrom said casing upon the application 5 of manual pressure thereto, means for guiding said lever during the movement thereof, said operating means including a first member operatively coupled to said burner and a second member operatively coupled tosaid lever, cooperative cam means forming portions of said first and second members for operating said burner upon the application of manual pressure to said lever, said cooper-- ative cam means being in the form of oppositely directed curved end portions of said members, said curved end portions being aligned for contact upon the movement of said lever. underthe application of manual pressure thereto, and means joining said casing portions in gastight relation-ship.

. References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A GAS LIGHTER OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A CASING, SAID CASING INCLUDING BASE AND TOP PORTIONS DEFINING A GAS CHAMBER, AN IGNITION MECHANISM, MEANS FOR MOUNTING A FLINT ON THE TOP PORTION OF THE CASING ADJACENT THE IGNITION MECHANISM, A BURNER ADJACENT THE IGNITION MECHANISM, A LEVER, AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID BURNER UPON THE APPLICATION OF PRESSURE TO SAID LEVER FOR RELEASING GAS FROM WITHIN SAID GAS CHAMBER THROUGH SAID BURNER, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING CONSTRUCTING THE BASE PORTION OF THE CASING AND THE LEVER OF AN INTEGRAL ONE-PIECE CONSTRUCTION, SAID LEVER BEING FREE AT AN UPPER PORTION AND JOINED AT A LOWER PORTION TO THE BASE PORTION OF THE CASING, SAID FLINE MOUNTING MEANS AND SAID CASING TOP PORTION BEING CONSTRUCTED OF AN INTEGRAL ONE-PIECE CONSTRUCTION, MEANS SECURING SAID TOP AND BASE CASING PORTIONS IN GASTIGHT RELATIONSHIP, SAID OPERATING MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST MEMBER OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO SAID BURNER AND A SECOND MEMBER OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO SAID LEVER, AND COOPERATIVE CAM MEANS FORMING PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS FOR OPERATING SAID BURNER UPON THE APPLICATION OF MANUAL PRESSURE TO SAID LEVER. 